The Potter Generation
by mmhem
Summary: Four seventh years. Four houses. One documentary. What could go wrong?
1. Chapter 1

Intro Number 1

"You're on." I whispered, nodding at the girl sitting across from me. She eyed me suspiciously before running a hand through her stark black hair and folding her hands on the desk in front of her.

"My name is Aria Hayward and I have agreed to be a part of the Potter Generation." she said hesitantly. The flashcard in my hand with the sentence scrawled on it in big letters apparently wasn't helping her case. I sighed internally, deciding it wouldn't get any better than that, then continued with the interview.

"Before we dive into the world of Hogwarts I'd like to get to know you a bit better." I said with ease. I had been practicing what I was going to say for weeks and now I finally found someone to play the opposite role. "So Aria, how would you describe yourself?"

The girl's dark eyes flicked to the window, where rain was pouring down in buckets. It was an ominous Saturday, which made the empty classroom feel even more lonesome.

"Honestly? No holding back?" she asked, her voice sounding small in the big room. I adjusted the camcorder in my hand before nodding eagerly, despite not getting it on film. The Slytherin picked at her nails nervously, not catching my gaze before replying coolly.

"A selfish bitch."

That wasn't what I was expecting. I cleared my throat awkwardly as Aria's lips drew into a smile. Footsteps echoed from outside the locked classroom door, but I refused to stop filming.

"You said to be honest, right?" she smirked. Everything about her screamed confidence and playfulness, but as I sat right in front of this girl, camera in hand, I could see her heart just wasn't in it.

"Is that it?" I asked, regaining my self-confidence. I had to learn how to get over the road bumps somehow, and it was obviously things weren't always going to go my way during these interviews.

"For now." Aria said smoothly, glancing out the fogged up window again. "You said this would last throughout the whole year, so I figured you could wait and see. It'll be liking watching tv and having to wait another week for the next episode."

I was disappointed but agreed with her. If this was going to last I had to time it perfectly.

"Right. Well, I guess that's all for now. My name is Wesley Adkins and this has been The Potter Generation." I pressed the record button and set the camcorder down gingerly, sitting back lazily. Everything felt sluggish today, and it was ruining my creative mood. Aria twirled a piece of hair around her finger as she looked me up and down.

"So, why are you doing this again?" she asked, placing her chin on her hand. The same old answer played on my tongue but I decided to hold it in. What was the point of lying?

"I'm not really sure yet." I said abruptly, rubbing my tired eyes. "The idea just popped into my head and I went with it."

"Not very Ravenclaw of you." she commented, eyeing the blue tie hanging loosely around my neck. I rolled my eyes and pulled at it absentmindedly. I couldn't even count how many times someone had said something like that to me and each time it made me even angrier.

"That's why I'm doing this." I said, my voice low in the back of my throat. "To kill the stereotypes that every wizard parent passes down to their children and every muggleborn hears from friends. It's ridiculous to think that we can all fit perfectly into one category and not wonder why we weren't placed somewhere else. Everyone wonders at least once if they were sorted correctly."

"Not me." Aria said with a small smile, as if she was reminiscing about that dirty old Sorting Hat being placed on her head. I didn't say anything but my doubt was obvious.

"Seriously." she laughed. "I always knew I would be in Slytherin. And not because my whole family has been in the same house for centuries or something stupid like that. I just knew that I wouldn't fit in in any other house."

It made sense. Sometimes you just knew where you belonged. Some even say the Sorting Hat lets you choose your house for that reason in particular. Sometimes I wished I had known that when I was eleven, but I don't think anything would have changed. Because I'm not sure where I belong.

We sat in silence for a while, the room filled with the sound of rain and fading footsteps. Somehow things didn't feel as awkward as I expected and I felt almost normal sitting with a Slytherin girl. It wasn't often that I interfered with other houses, but this year I had to be willing to make sacrifices. And it turned out to be as easy as sitting in the Ravenclaw common room with a book.

"Well this has been nice, but I've got places to go and people to see." Aria said shattering the serene silence as she stood from her desk. I sat up quickly, my limbs cracking and popping.

"I'll see you next week?" I asked, a hint of hope in my voice. There was no soul selling contract that had to be signed, so she could walk out at any moment. I just wished it wasn't so soon.

"Next week." she agreed, pulling her book bag over her shoulder. I let out a sigh of relief that was just a bit too loud and ran a hand through my already messed up hair. Aria strided to the door, her heels clicking against the tile floor but stopped abruptly. I peered up at her from my seat across the room as she turned to me hesitantly.

"I was just wondering who else agreed to be interviewed." she said slowly, her finger tracing the doorknob. "For the documentary."

The three others faces flashed through my mind and I almost considered spilling it all. It was exciting, for me at least and I wanted to share it with everyone around me, but I knew it wasn't fair.

"That's confidential." I said, not able to hide a smile. Aria rolled her eyes sarcastically before trudging out of the classroom and into the nearly empty hallway.

I leaned farther back into my chair, closing my eyes. After so many weeks of planning everything was falling into place. I would finally have a chance to tell what Hogwarts is really like. With no sugar coating and no hidden truths. This was the generation of Harry Potter, and there was nothing holding them back from telling everything they knew. And there was nothing stopping me from getting all of it on tape.


	2. Chapter 2

"Are you sure you still want to do this?"

The boy tugged nervously on his red and gold tie and I could see he wanted to leave. The lawn was nearly empty with only the occasional group of girls with their heads bowed together against the breeze. It was a crisp September day, cool enough to have the lawn almost to ourselves. But I was beginning to think this interview wasn't going to happen.

"I'll do it." the boy said firmly, turning his blue eyes up to mine. "I made a promise. I have to keep it."

I offered a warm smile before picking up my camcorder and pressing record. The red light began to blink and the boy composed himself the best he could.

"Um, my name is Mason Carrington and I've agreed to be a part of The Potter Generation." he said clearing his throat several times. I nodded at him encouragingly. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

"You're a seventh year, correct?" I asked. A hard wind blew, carrying orange leaves from the bare branches of a nearby tree and on top of us. Mason studied a crumpled leave before nodding slowly.

"So, tell me what it's like to be in the same year as Harry Potter. What has your education and experiences been like?" Amusement flashed in Mason's eyes. The tension began to melt a bit and I was especially grateful.

"Being in the same year as Harry Potter is like being an extra in an overexaggerated movie. There are thousands of students in this school, yet the only ones that matter are the Harry Potter and his pousse. Sure, he defeated Voldemort and all that, but some people actually want an education."

I couldn't help but laugh at the truth of it all. Mason laughed too, shaking his light brown head. A group of first years hurried by behind us, not even trying to hide their curiosity. We shot them a threatening look and they scurried away as fast as they had come.

"So, your years at Hogwarts haven't been the best?" I guessed.

"No." Mason smiled, glancing at the castle behind him. "It's been a crazy seven years, let me tell you. And most people don't even know half of what goes on in that damn school."

I gazed at the structure above me, it's towers and turrets gleaming in the afternoon sun. After the Battle last year it wasn't difficult to restore the castle to its former glory. Wizards and witches from all over came to help with the construction and now it looked like nothing had even happened. But we all remembered it vividly. And coming back wasn't as easy as it seemed.

"Let everyone know then." I said bluntly, flicking my gaze back to Mason. "What goes on in that damn school that the wizarding world doesn't know about?" The Gryffindor took a deep breath, thinking about his answer.

"Here at Hogwarts," he started, stretching his legs out in front of him "we're like any other teenagers. We're misunderstood, rebellious, and completely out of control. We drink and smoke and have sex, all while barely passing our classes and trying to figure out what we're going to do with our lives."

"We're like everybody else." I finished for him, nodding absentmidedly.

We stayed quiet for a while, letting the words sink in. I replayed them over and over in my mind and excitement filled me up like a balloon. I knew this documentary would probably sit at the bottom of my trunk for the rest of my life, but every word was true. And just making it felt good. Like we were making a difference.

"I guess that's all for this interview. My name is Weskey Adkins and this was The Potter Generation." I turned the camcorder off and set in carefully in the grass beside me. Mason sighed deeply and leaned back against the tree.

"That felt good." he said contently folding his hands over his stomach. Behind him, students were bustling around the castle, getting ready for dinner. I nodded in agreement. For once I didn't feel like eating.

We didn't go in until the sun was on the horizon and the late September sky turned a light pink. Mcgonagall was pissed but I thought it was worth it.

And I hoped that tomorrow would go just as well.


	3. Chapter 3

I was late. Really late.

My footsteps echoed in the empty hallway as I rushed to the Ravenclaw common room. It was Monday evening and as usual everyone was either doing homework or sleeping. For me, it was the third day of week one of interviews. And so far things were looking good.

I took the stairs two at a time, my bag bouncing heavily against my side. Outside, the sky was turning purple and the stars were starting to show. It was the perfect night for Astronomy homework, which of course meant we had a ton. I didn't think I would have much patience for staring at the sky.

When I finally got to the door I mumbled a mediocre answer to the usual Ravenclaw riddle, then pushed my way in. The room was humming, with groups of people whispering and studying together. The fireplace at the front of the room was roaring and right next to it, in a squishy blue chair, was my next interviewee.

"I'm so sorry." I breathed out quickly, throwing my book bag on the ground and collapsing into the chair across from her. "I got held up by Flitwick and he wouldn't let me leave."

"It's alright." she smiled pulling her robe closer around herself. Her pale blue eyes were bright and her voice was unusually airy. She reminded me of a Disney princess. I had seen her around school before but this was the first time I had really talked to her and I wondered why. How could I miss so many people?

"Are you ready" I asked pulling out my camcorder. The girl nodded excitedly, tightening her blonde ponytail. I handed her the flashcard that had her line scrawled on it, then pressed record.

"My name is Elizabeth Hardison and I've agreed to be a part of the Potter Generation." she said confidently, her smile wide.

"Hello Elizabeth, I-"

"Call me Lizzy." she interrupted quickly. "All my friends do."

"Oh OK. Well Lizzy, my question for you is simple. What are your thoughts on Harry Potter?" I asked adjusting the camera in my hand.

She glanced away for a second, thinking about her answer before looking back up at me with a grin on her face.

"He's a dumb ass. A total git."

Her warm smile made me relax and I finally felt like I could breath normally. "And why is that?" I asked, trying to keep my cool.

"It's obvious isn't it? He's too much of a hero." Lizzy said, folding her hands in her lap.

"That's a bad thing?" I wondered, becoming curious.

"Of course it is! All heroes are just tragedies in disguise. Harry Potter is too loyal and too pure for this world. He has to think about himself sometimes. Honestly, how many times has he nearly died fighting for his friends?" she said her voice becoming faster. It was obvious that she had thought about this before. And it was all true!

"That makes him dumb?" I asked, egging her on. I was learning that the best thing you could get on tape was emotion. Lizzy was the most emotional of them all.

"Yes! The best thing you can be in this world is a fool! But he took it upon himself to be a hero, which is good for the wizarding world, but bad for him. We know everything about him for God's sake! Most of it we shouldn't even know about!"

We were both laughing now, thinking about what she was saying. Most people praise the boy, for what he's done. It's true, he saved the wizarding world from complete peril. Yet, he's no different from any other teenager. The only difference is that his whole life is on display and nothing is a secret. Lizzy was right. The best thing you could be in this world is a beautiful little fool.

"But his life is pretty good now." Lizzy continued, shrugging her shoulders. "Him and Ginny Weasley are a thing now and he's closer to his friends than he's ever been. The whole goddamn wizarding world is praising him and he has his entire life ahead of him. He can be anything he wants to be."

I nodded in agreement, absently glancing around the common room. It was nearly empty now, with students heading down to dinner. The only remaining people were a group of three fourth years studying and a second year that had fallen asleep in an armchair. I checked my watch and decided we needed to wrap this thing up.

"Do you have anything else to say before we end this wonderful interview?" Lizzy glanced up at the ceiling, in deep thought before gasping in excitement. I wouldn't be surprised to see a light bulb floating above her head.

"Romione is the couple of the year and everyone is gay for Draco Malfoy!" she shrieked, jumping from her chair and dancing around.

"My name is Wesley Adkins and this has been the Potter Generation!"

A/N: Please write reviews and tell me what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

There were four defining factors that madeup the perfect Hufflepuff.

1. A winning smile

2. A kind heart

3. A humorous personality

4. A secret side that nobody knows about

And the most popular, kindest Hufflepuff around was sitting right across from me.

"Remind me again, how many people are going to see this?" he asked nonchalantly.

We were sitting in a deserted room that hadn't been used in years. All of the furniture was covered in sheets and the air was filled with dust. It was pretty creepy, despite the balls of light I had cast into the air and I decided I would clean it up some weekend. As long as I found it again. The empty rooms in Hogwarts were usually like the Room of Requirement, hard to find and always changing.

"No one, probably." I said, wiping the lens of my camera with my sleeve. "I'm making this for the sole purpose of entertainment and justice."

The Hufflepuff nodded but I could see he was still concerned. I decided not to say anything and apparently he decided not to think about it.

I finished cleaning the lens before turning on the camera and pressing record. The boy in front of me put on a prize winning smile and it seemed as though he was facing a crowd, Like an actor putting on a fresh face for his audience.

"My name is Zach Calvery and I've agreed to be a part of the Potter Generation." he said with a smile.

"My question for you today is, what do you think about the house stereotypes and prejudices?" I said, my voice strong and confident. I had wanted to ask this question from the beginning and was interested to see what the answer was. Especially from a Hufflepuff who was at the top of the Hogwarts food chain.

"Wow, interesting question." he said, managing to give me a compliment. He patted down his dirty blonde hair and glanced out the foggy window. It was only five thirty in the morning and the sun was barely floating over the horizon.

"Well first of all, I think they're completely over exaggerated. Before you even start going to Hogwarts you hear about how Gryffindors are heroes, Slytherins are Death Eaters, Ravenclaws are nerds, and Hufflepuffs are hippies. But it's all wrong. There are plenty of rude Hufflepuffs and cowardly Gryffindors. I think houses are more about what you value in yourself. Because everyone has a little ambition, intelligence, bravery, and kindness in them."

It sounded like a something a true leader would say. Like Dumbledore. And the honesty in his brown eyes made it that much truer. It was in that moment that I knew I had made the right decision.

"What about the divisions between houses? And the prejudices?" I asked. Outside the partly open door, people were starting to move around and wake up. There were only a few people, but I knew our time was limited.

"Basically, Gryffindors are the protagonists and Slytherins are the villains. Most accounts are black and white, with no in between. But that's completely untrue. And a lot of the times houses are disrespected, especially Slytherin. Their whole house is made out to be these horrible, arrogant people when a lot of them are kind people."

I thought about Aria. She was calm and collected but obviously troubled. It was like the saying "don't judge a book by its cover." You can't judge people by their house,and I knew that personally. It made me think of Harry Potter once more. And surprisingly Draco Malfoy. There were rumors that he was coming back to Hogwarts, but no one knew what to believe.

"One last question." I said, becoming more conscious of the noise in the hall and the rising sun. "Do you think Harry Potter has an effect on the hierarchy of Hogwarts?"

Zach looked surprised by the question. For once his confident look had faded and he looked genuinely curious. He chewed on his lip for a second before looking back up at the camera.

"Definitely. I think Harry Potter has something to do with everything that happens in his school. He represents the Gryffindors and his enemies represent Slytherins. And that's how it's always been. He never wanted to cause all of this chaos and tragedy. He just wanted to be a normal kid, but that was never in his fate, I guess."

The sun rose carefully over the horizon, lighting up the castle with orange light. Smoke billowed from Hagrid's home and the Quidditch stadium cast long shadows against the grass. It was sad thinking about this boy. Who had lived such a tragic life and yet asked for nothing in return. He had lost so much and honestly none of us had any idea what that was like. We could judge him and create horrible theories but at the end of the day all we knew about him was his story and not the person he was.

"My name is Wesley Adkins and this has been the Potter Generation."


	5. Chapter 5

Editting. Sleeping. Editting. Eating. Editting. Sleeping.

That's what I did the rest of the week in that order. I didn't have much footage considering it was only the first week of interviews, but I couldn't help but watch the footage over and over again. It made the project feel real and that was always the best motivation.

On Friday, I was done editting but still had one day left until the second round of interviews started. Fridays were party nights at Hogwarts, so what would be better than getting the whole thing on tape? And it wouldn't be hard to sneak my camera into class. These days the teachers didn't give a shit what you did. The NEWT's were an onrunning joke in our grade. We all expected McGonagall to call them off like Dumbledore did in second year. That was just one of the perks of being in the Potter Generation, I guess.

As I walked down the crowded hallway, on my way to breakfast, I held my camcorder above the crowd, scanning it for familiar faces. No one really noticed or probably didn't care. Friday mornings were full of buzz, and no amount of strange culd pull people from their excitement. I had even heard this morning that the Slytherins were holding a huge bash in their common room tonight and they had coolers filled with beer and firewhiskey. And there was no doubt that Harry Potter ad his crew would be attending.

I followed the sea of teenagers into the Great Hall where the house tables we set up. Four sections with different colors all being equally rowdy and loud. At the front of the room was the teachers table. They all somehow looked awake and happy, which was a surprise to me. I suppose any amount of chaos was better than the Battle.

I made my way to the Ravenclaw table, swinging my camcorder above the heads of the people in front of I sat down I focused on each table, finding my interviewee, then zooming in on them. I found Mason first.

He was sitting with three other people, two guys and a girl. He was laughing at something one of the guys was saying and staring at him admiringly. I would have to ask him about that.

Next, was Zach. He was surrounded by at more than ten people, all of them deeply tuned in to what he was saying. The other Hufflepuffs that weren't close enough to hear him were whispering with one another, obviously about him. But it was clear that no one had anything bad to say about him. A second before I turned to my own table he caught me filming him and winked discreetly. No one noticed.

At my own table, I found Lizzy. She was at the opposite end of the table and talking with two other girls. Like most girls seem to do, they were laughing and whispering, like they had a bunch of secrets that no one else could know about. I didn't mean to stare at her for as long as I did, but it was hard not to. Luckily, she didn't notice.

Lastly, was Aria. She was talking to another girl and they were both staring at the entrance of the Great Hall. They looked nervous. Or maybe excited. Suddenly, their eyes went wide and I whipped arounf to see Draco Malfoy stride into the Great Hall looking more arrogant than ever. No one really noticed, and I decided that as a good thing since not ten seconds after, Harry Potter walked in. He looked like he had seen a ghost and his frends didn't seem too happy.

I turned back to Aria, who was already staring back at me like a cat. I offered a weak smile, holding my camera up to her and she waved in return. This filming session was over.

I stooped recording and started to fill my plate with everything around me. I was surprised that no one had even wondered why I had a camera and was filming everyone around me. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised, though. All anyone cared about was gossip anyway.

Qudditch tryouts were at thee thirty that afternoon. And since I was filming a normal Friday night at Hogwart, I just had to attend. Which left me sitting on the cold bleachers wishing I wasn't there at all.

All four teams were in either corner of the field, their captains at the front explaining how things were going to work. Each team had a decent amount of newbies, which was surprising and also depressing. Everyone knew that once you were on the team you never left, and getting on was the hadest part. And not everyone was as good of a Quidditch player as Harry Freaking Potter.

I zoomed in on the Boy Who Lived, who was talking to his team. As always he looked nervous and awkward. Talking in front of people was never really his thing I guess. But everyone was paying attention respectfully, because that's what you do when a teenager saves the world.

Just across the field was Draco Malfoy. More than a handful of Slytherins had lef Hogwarts all together, leaving Malfoy in charge of the Quidditch team. He looked a bit less angry now then he did this morning, but he kept stealing looks at Harry and obviously trying not to notice he was there at all. I wondered what was up with those two.

"Interesting." I said out loud to myself. I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see a bright face zoomed in. I jumped back without meaning to and sighed with relieve when I saw it was Lizzy.

"I scared you, didn't I?" she laughed, with her voice tinkling like bells. I smiled back at her, turning off my camera and pretending I wans't as scared as I was.

"So, what do you find so interesting?" she asked sitting down beside me. Below on the field the teams were beginning to start try outs and people began to soar into the air. I had always wanted to play Quidditch, but was too scared to even try.

"Nothing. I mean it's stupid, but I think there's something going on between Malfoy and Harry Potter." I said stupidly. The theory sounded a lot better in my head.

"I heard from some Slytherin that they had a summer romance and Draco doesn't want the relationship to end, but Harry has too much pride."

I turned to look at the blonde girl, who was staring out into the field as if what she had said sounded completely sane. Without looking at me, she cracked a smile then began to laugh again. I loved her laugh.

"So you think Harry Potter is having an affair with Draco Malfoy?" I chuckled, looking back at the two Quidditch captains, flying through the air like birds. It was true that there was some tension between them, but love? Was that even possible?

"I can dream can't I? Besides everyone thinks it's true, so that means it must be true!" She said, readjusting the blue scarf around her neck. A strong wind blew by as the Quidditch players began flying laps around the stadium. The other handful of people in the stands began to clap and cheer.

"I know I already told you this, but make sure you don't tell anyone we're doing these interviews. I want to keep it completely confidential." I said after a while. It had been on my mind the whole day and I decided is was necessary to remind every interviewee. Be jade word gets around fast at Hogwarts and under no circumstances did I want people's personal opinions out there in the open. I would probably get burned at the stake of that happened.

"Yeah, I remember you saying something like that." Lizzy smiled. "Why don't you want us to know about each other. I can't be the only one being interviewed and I'm definitely not the only curious person."

"I guess I just have a bad feeling about it. Like, if too many people know then something bad will happen. And I can't afford any insults to Hogwarts being leaked."

We were quiet then, watching the sky. Neither of us really understood what was going on and we both knew it, but sitting next to Lizzy is silence was comforting. I felt warm on this cold September.

"Are you going to the party tonight " she asked as we walked back to castle half an our later. The anticipation had increased as we entered the building and not one person had a scowl on their face besides the first years who had no clue what was going on underneath the school. I could almost hear The Weird Sisters playing and taste the fire whiskey.

"Definitely." I said with a small smile. This was my chance to really show what Hogwarts was all about, up close and personal.

A/N Please review and tell me what you think!


	6. Chapter 6

The dark damp dungeon was the perfect disguise for the Slytherin common room. It was quiet, miserable, and totally fake. Several charms had been placed on the real common room in the Salazar Slytherin days, hiding it from intruders and party poopers, which made it the perfect place to hold parties that lasted all throughout the night. And not even the other founders knew about it.

So when I walked through the crappy looking door, the pounding of speakers and the shouts of party goers almost blew me out of the doorway. All I could do was stand and stare. I hadn't been to a Slytherin party in a while, but it seemed that they had upped their game since last year.

The common room, which was the size of a ballroom, was completely dark besides the neon lights that flashed through the air. It seemed that every seventh year in the school was in this one room, jumping up and down with the music. I was surprised the floor didn't break.

I quickly closed the door behind me, sealing in the ear busting music. I clutched my camcorder to my side and clung to the wall, trying to find a good view of the rave. Not surprisingly, a red solo cup was shoved into my hand in about three seconds and a request to dance was asked. I declined and got out as fast as I could. Usually, I would have agreed with enthusiasm, but tonight was different. I had to be focused and determined to get revealing footage.

I downed my beer before turning on my camera and recording. I began to see other people like me, who were sliding around the perimeter of the room, trying to socialize. Not all of us are meant to be in the middle of the dance floor, I guess. I swung my camera above the crowd of dancing people, getting a good look at everyone. Both Muggleborns and Purebloods were dancing together, breaking blood boundaries and house boundaries. I think that was another reason why we had these parties all the time. Because in the dark, with music blaring and alcohol being passed around, there were no boundaries at all. The walls came down.

"Wesley!"

The familiar voice pulled me from my thoughts and sent me searching the room frantically. It didn't take long for me to see the dirty blonde head of Zach bobbing towards me. He left a trail of curious faces behind him, but surprisingly they didn't follow. He had a wide grin on his face and his brown eyes were shining.

"Hey Zach." I said, shoving my camera into the pocket of my hoodie. It was almost weird seeing him in regular clothes and made me feel like we weren't wizards at all. Just two guys at a party. And right now, I was with one of the most popular guys in school. I can say it wasn't a little nerve racking.

"I didn't think you would be here." he said, ignoring the calls of his friends behind him. "Are you here for the documentary?"

"Pretty much." I shrugged, glancing slyly past the Hufflepuff. He was at least a head taller than me and it was extremely intimidating. He took a swig of beer before clapping me on the shoulder, as if we had been friends for years.

"Well, I'm glad you're here man." he said turning around and taking me with him. The way he said it, I almost believed him. He had a weird way of making you feel wanted that made you want to hang out with him more. I started to realize more and more why Zach Calvery was so popular.

He pulled me through the dense crowd, somehow clearing a path without saying a word. Around us, people were still dancing and barely gave us a second glance. Without realizing it, I was in the middle of the crowd. Suddenly, the music seemed louder and the energy was faster. I had never been on the inside before and it made me rethink my life decisions.

"Hey guys, this is Wesley. He's gonna stick with us tonight." Zach said, gesturing to me. The group all shouted in delight then pulled me into their circle. It was like I was being swallowed by a black hole and there was no going back. It was crazy and wonderful all at the same time.

I wasn't sure how it happened, but at some point I began dancing. I downed a few more beers and some other liquids I wasn't sure about and started to feel more alive than I had felt in a long time. Girls pressed up against me, whispering indiscernible things in my ears and whipping their hair around. I hadn't noticed before, but it was hard to ignore the tight dresses and short skirts that they wore just for occasions like this. I was about to be dragged to a nearby closet by a red head with a nose piercing, but the song ended and the crowd went still.

We all cheered, for reasons I'm still unsure of, then went quiet as a Slytherin boy stepped up on a table and held a microphone to his mouth. I slipped back to where Zach was and tried to control my breathing.

"Thank you all for coming!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the mic. The crowd cheered then hushed down again. "It's officially twelve o'clock, so let's get this party started! And don't forget watch out for Filch on your way out!"

The music blasted through the air once more and the blur of the rave returned to my brain. I pushed away a red solo cup that was offered to me and tried to blink away the lights dancing in my eyes. Zach's grin returned as he glanced down at me, completely missing my stupor.

"Having fun?" he yelled over the music. I started to open my mouth, but my name was shouted through the crowd once again. I turned to see Aria, holding a cup above the crowd with smile on her face. Everyone was way too happy around here.

"Who's that?" Zach whispered to me, his eyebrows furrowed and his lips turned down. As I looked between the Hufflepuff and the Slytherin, realization hit me. They were about to meet. Like right now.

"This is not good." I muttered to myself. I pushed Zach behind me, gesturing to Aria to wait. The boy looked confused, curious, and aroused all at once. This was really not good.

"Can you find me some vodka?" I asked turning him around to where the drink table was.

"Vodka?" he asked, glancing back at Aria.

"Yes! Now go!" I shouted, shoving him into the crowd. It was a good thing there was no vodka at that table. That should keep him away for a while.

Aria was behind me now, looking just as confused as Zach. She didn't have to ask, I already knew what she was wondering. But suddenly, the room was spinning and the interviewees meeting each other didn't seem so important.

"I'm sorry, I have to go." I mumbled, clutching Aria's shoulders to steady myself, before launching myself to the edge of the room. My stomach churned and my vision was failing, as I felt along the wall for a doorknob. I finally found one and wrenched it open, but instead of finding the cool dungeon I found a familiar face.

Mason. Kissing the boy he was sitting with at breakfast this morning. Or they were kissing until I opened the door. Now we were all staring at each other like idiots and I felt like I was going to vomit. I wondered if I should be surprised by Mason making out with a boy in a Slytherin closet, but I was a too drunk to care. He started to say something, his face falling desperately, but I interrupted him.

"Can you show me to the door?" I stuttered, ignoring Mason's make out partner. Mason glanced at the boy before nodding and leading me away from the closet. He stuck close to me, his light brown hair a mess and his face red.

"What was that?" he hissed, pulling my arm nearly out of its socket. I felt like we were going in circles and just wanted to lay down and sleep.

"Drunk. Extremely drunk." I said sadly. Suddenly, the door came into view and I pushed out into the hall. I glanced quickly at the doorway, where Mason stood looking nervous.

"When you remember this in the morning, if you do, please don't freak out." he said quietly. The cold air from the dungeon hallway made me feel bit better, but I still felt like I was going to fall asleep. I could barely keep my eyes open.

"Don't worry, bro. I don't mind that you're gay."

I was stumbling through the upstairs corridors of Hogwarts, when I finally stopped. It had felt like I was walking for hours and the Ravenclaw common room was no where in sight. I collapsed to the hard floor and leaned my back against the wall. I let my eyes drift closed and ignored the footsteps that were loud and clear coming straight towards me.

"Wesley?" a concerned voice asked, slapping my face softly. I opened my eyes a crack to see the pale blue eyes of Lizzy. Beautiful, wonderful Lizzy. I tried to say something but instead passed out.


	7. Chapter 7

The week before I started my first year at Hogwarts, I found out I was a wizard. Everyone has a different story about how they found out about magic. Some know from the time they were born, and some have no idea until a half giant breaks through their door. For me, it was like when muggle parents wake up their kids and tell them they're going to Disney World. Except I was a wizard and was attending a magical boarding school in five days. You can imagine how exciting that news was for an eleven year old.

My mother is a witch and my father is a muggle. Surprisingly, he knew what he was getting into when he married a witch in a long line of Pureblood magic. And somehow he was ok with it. They both knew when they had me that I would turn out to be a wizard and that I would be sent to Hogwarts every school year and unlike a lot of Purebloods, my mother didn't care what house I was sorted into. The only thing I wasn't sure about was why they didn't tell me sooner. I've asked at least a million times and each time my parents share a look, then act like nothing happened.

Either way, being a wizard was good for a while. I arrived at Hogwarts on that iconic scarlet train and made some wizard friends. Things were going good. Little did I know what awaited me in the next seven years. And I think it started when Harry Potter and Severus Snape had an epic stare down at the Sorting Ceremony. Trust me, Ron wasn't the only one who noticed Harry clutching his head in pain that night. But at that time, Harry Potter meant nothing to me. All I cared about was learning magic and actually making friends for a change.

I succeeded in making a couple friends, but only because it's impossible not to meet at least one cool person at a wizarding school. His name was Neil and he moved from America when he was 7. He was one of the only Americans at Hogwarts and basically everyone made fun of him for it. He stuck around me until fifth year. After that he stopped coming to school because of the whole Voldemort thing. But by that time I was done with him and was glad he had shipped himself back to America.

Anyway, being in the Potter Generation myself, I had experienced every event Harry Potter and his friends had, but as an outsider. Which made the whole thing seem even more insane. Here's a brief summary of the events, from my perspective.

In first year, Quirrell was a joke. When he walked past us we would stutter and say nasty things, as all eleven year old magical people do. Little did we know, the Dark Lord was laughing at our jokes from behind Quirrell's ridiculous turban. Some people even say they heard Voldemort sneeze once, while they were walking by. I wasn't sure about that, but I liked the idea of He Who Must Not Be Named having a minor cold on his way to killing Harry Potter.

In second year, I was in danger. All of us muggleborns were, and it seemed like the blood boundaries between us were stronger than ever. Gilderoy Lockhart was a fake and we all knew it, despite some of the girls having major crushes on the guy. The Chamber of Secrets opened, so of course no one knew what that meant, until Hermione Granger made McGonagall spill. Dumbledore almost shut down the school, Dobby was a free elf, and Harry Potter saved the day again. Also, exams were cancelled because a giant snake was murdered by a twelve year old boy, so that was cool. It was probably one of the scariest of my years at Hogwarts, which made it one of the best.

In third year, Hermione Granger punched Draco Malfoy in the face. Nuff' said. And also, Sirius Black broke out of wizard prison and Remus Lupin aka Werewolf McWerewolf, became the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher ever.

Now fourth year was my favorite. Maybe it was watching four teenagers fight dragons and nearly drown in the lake, or maybe it was the world famous Quidditch star that Ron Weasley was totally gay for. I for one, think it was because of all the hot French girls from Beauxbatons. Anyway, Cedric Diggory died and Cho Chang went off the wall. Mad Eye Moody was a creepy bastard. And Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnagan went to the Yule Ball together. Did I mention I never got a date? Oh, and let's not forget Hagrid falling in love with another half giant who claimed to be "big boned." All in all, fourth year was by far the best.

This is where it goes a bit downhill. One word. Umbridge. That bitch was causing all kinds of trouble with her stupid pink outfits and cat themed office. Since when did Dumbledore allow little frog ladies to teach at his school? And when did it become ok for her to force children into carving words into their hands? Nearly everyone had at least one detention with Dumbridge, including me, and trust me, it was not pretty. But then it gets good again! Two words. Dumbledore's Army. The first of many rebellions lead by our very own Harry Potter. Despite what was recently known, many more people were part of the army than was said. That means me. It was a weird time, I must say. Patronuses, first kisses, thestrals, the Ministry of Magic, and Sirius Black's tragic death. And there was mourning, Lots of mourning.

Sixth year was what I call a throw away year. With the pressure of Voldemort and the Death Eaters pressing against all of us, there was no time for anything exciting to happen. Although, this was basically when everyone began having sex in the Room of Requirement, which was a beautiful milestone in my book. Let me summarize this a bit: Romione, Hinny, Draco, Dumbledore, and Severus Snape, the Half Blood Prince himself.

And last but not least, seventh year. The first time. I can't say much because not much happened. Voldemort took reign and we all hoped that Harry would do as he said. Rumors about horcruxes became more common and Hogwarts began its downfall. Things were pretty shitty. But you know all about what came after. Fred, Tonks, Remus, Harry, and many more. The Boy Who Lived went to die, but came back to protect who he loves.

I guess Hogwarts hasn't been too bad. We've had our up and downs, but I still think it was worth it. No matter how much we decline to admit it, we love each other. It's sort of impossible not love people you've been through so much shit with. The Potter Generation is by far the bravest, most intelligent, kindest, and ambitious group of people I'll ever come to know.

I woke up with a start, my mouth dry and my head pounding. I was laying in the Ravenclaw common room, on a comfy blue couch, staring at the ceiling. Sunlight filtered through the windows beautifully and it made my head hurt. I sat up and surveyed the room. Slumped in an armchair, snoring softly, was Lizzy. She was wearing a wrinkled party dress and her hair was sticking up in all directions. I considered waking her up, at least to apologize for whatever I did, because it was obvious something happened, but I didn't. I stood up, pulled a blanket over her, and left the common room. Some things should be left to discuss for later times.


	8. Chapter 8

p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" To say the least, I felt like shit. The party flashed through my mind and I was having a hard time trying to figure out if half of it was real. But it seemed that I was extremely drunk and I had a suspicion that alcohol wasn't the only thing I was drinking./p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" But I wasn't too concerned about my drinking habits at that moment. I was more worried about being late to Aria's next interview. And I had a feeling that she would be asking me a few questions that I wasn't ready to answer. I probably should've realized that our whole year was going and that it would be inevitable for them to meet. The only thing I could do now was hope they wouldn't tell each other or anyone else about the interviews. I knew in the back of my mind that something bad would happen if anyone knew. I couldn't explain it.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" I stalked into the classroom we were in last week and expected to find Aria seething in a desk waiting for me to come so she could yell at me, but all I saw was an empty classroom. I slowed my pace, looking around the room suspiciously. I almost expected her to jump out of a closet or something. But the room was totally empty.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" I slumped down into a desk, massaging my sore head. I guess I wasn't the only one who was running late. I pulled my camcorder from my bag and set it on the table. She was bound to come sooner or later. I would just have to wait.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" ***************************************************p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" An hour later, Aria came through the door, looking windswept and absolutely ecstatic. Her black hair was flying in every direction and her cheeks were pink. The October day looked brisk even from inside the castle, so it wasn't hard to guess where she had been for the past hour. The only question was why.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "Oh my god, I'm so so sorry!" she exclaimed jumping into a seat and composing herself. She sounded normal and didn't give me any questioning looks, but she was probably curious about my behavior last night. And I definitely couldn't avoid it this time. p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "It's alright." I said, slowly lifting my head from it's position on top of my palm. My neck cracked, and I began to regain feeling in my elbow. My eyelids fluttered and I began to stretch, my bones popping like I was a statue coming to life or something. I was a complete mess. Aria didn't even try to act as if I looked normal.p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "What's wrong with you?" she asked, surprisingly sounding concerned. Her eyebrows were furrowed and she was leaning forward a bit. I felt like an injured toddler being examined by an adult. It didn't feel as degrading as usual. p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "Honestly?" I croaked, picking up my camera with clumsy hands. "I'm pretty sure I was drugged last night at the party and became extremely drunk without realizing it until I was being pushed out and then I got lost in the castle, but somehow made my way back to Ravenclaw common room." p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "I feel like there are some holes in that story." Aria said raising her eyebrows, suspiciously. That was obvious, but if I told her everything then I would be risking the names of literally everyone else involved in this goddamn project. What had I done to deserve so much shit? And it was only week two!p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "Only a few. Now, let's get down to business." I said, pressing record. p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" I wasn't completely into the interview, and basically just trudged around the castle like a zombie for the rest of the day. I had somehow managed to dodge everyone I was trying to avoid too, which was a plus. I had a feeling that I had colossally screwed up, but there was no doubt that it was going to get worse. I mean, it's Hogwarts for god's sake! Nothing ever goes right in this school. p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" I didn't bother coming up with a new question and did another interview that night. Both of my participants were a bit distracted that day and I wasn't completely sure why. Perhaps it was nothing. I doubted it though. p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" **************************************************************p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "Hogwarts gossip. What's the latest and juiciest rumors being told around the castle?"p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" I sounded like an idiot. I was sitting in my room, re watching my footage from the day before. It was Sunday, so everyone was hanging around the castle, impatiently waiting for Quidditch to begin so that there would be something to do. Sundays were pretty laid back, but once there was some sport or competition, people went wild. I didn't know what it was with teenagers and competition, but we had a lot of cooperation and power that came when we really needed it. p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "The latest gossip?" Aria laughed, her eyes lighting up. They always seemed to o that when the subject came up. She seemed to know every last rumor and every last detail that went on in this school. She was even better than McGonagall. p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "My favorite is what I like to call, "The Downfall of Hinny and the Rise of Drarry." she said excitedly. I remember rolling my eyes and remembering what Lizzy had said. What was it with Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter that made people go wild? p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "Don't roll your eyes at me, it's real! Harry and Ginny had a huge fight in the middle of the corridor on Friday and no one knew what it was about, but it sounded like harry was having an affair. And no girl would be stupid enough to date Harry Potter, so Draco was the only answer. Not to mention they have eye sex. Like, all the time."p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "Eye sex?" I exclaimed, choking on a laugh. The camera shook a bit, but steadied back on Aria's face. She began to answer, but I began fast forwarding through the recordings until I got to Zach. His interview had been last minute, but he didn't seem to mind. And he asked way more questions about the party than Aria did. I answered with as much as i could and apologized profusely. Being the Hufflepuff he is, he accepted and went back to his happy self. It was hard to tell, but he seemed a bit happier than usual. He was literally bouncing in his chair like an antsy child. p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" "Rumors? Well, I heard earlier today that Trelawny and Slughorn are a thing now." Zach said breaking into a smile. "Apparently, they sneak out at night and have sex in the Room of Requirement, which is a big problem within the student population considering that was our idea first. But that's what I heard, I honestly couldn't care less."p  
>p style="margin: 20px 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Trebuchet, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: justify;" I paused the tape and stood up. I had two more interviews today and a shit ton of homework to do. I surveyed the room, trying to find the motivation between the blue velvet curtains and scattering of school books. I wasn't sure what the rest of the week or even the month would hold, but I hoped that it wouldn't be this depressing. It was like every other idea I had. It was big and exciting at first then quickly became another puff of smoke in the wind. It was scary to think that after this year I would be on my own. No more Hogwarts. And all I would have was a stupid documentary and mediocre grades. Once again, I was screwed.p 


End file.
